


No, No Novocain

by Johnismyloveforever64



Category: The Beatles
Genre: Dentistry, M/M, Needles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-06
Updated: 2016-07-06
Packaged: 2018-07-22 00:11:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,990
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7410742
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Johnismyloveforever64/pseuds/Johnismyloveforever64
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Paul has to get his first ever Novocain shot. John tagged along for moral support, but is asked to do more than just hold his hand. Can John's efforts be enough to soothe Paul of his worries?</p>
            </blockquote>





	No, No Novocain

It was mid-afternoon, and Paul and John were at their dentist office. Paul was in the chair waiting to get a filling, while John sat on the side. He was there for moral support. Paul was visibly nervous. His legs were shaking and he was all sweaty. He breathed heavily. John was as relaxed as ever, flipping through a magazine and smoking a cigarette. He offered one to Paul. He turned it down. 

“I can’t believe this is the first time you’re getting Novocain.”

“It’s not that unbelievable. I mean, I’ve had fillings before, but they’ve all been minutia cavities. They didn’t need Novocain.” He said with this panicked look in his eye. 

“I know, but still. It seems like it would’ve happened by now.”

“Well, it didn’t.” 

“It just seems strange. I mean, you’re like a grown man and you’ve never had a Novocain shot.”

“It really isn’t a big deal,” he insisted, though he didn’t sound convincing at all. 

“Sure it is,” John murmured, turning back to his magazine. He glanced up at Paul who was sitting rigidly in his chair glancing between the door and the tray with all the tools on it, the needle being absent from it. 

“What are you looking for?” 

“I don’t know when Dr. Gardiner is coming back? He said he’d been gone a minute and it’s been six!” His breathing was speeding up and his heart was starting to race. John put his hands on his shoulders. 

“Calm down. Remember, this is a good thing. That means you have extra time before he comes back with the-you-know-what.”

“Yeah, but he’s already been gone for six. How much longer can he be out there?” He fretted. John realized that he had a good point.

“Well, you know when he gets in here he won’t give you the shot right away,” he reasoned. Paul looked hopeful. 

“Really?”

“Yeah, he’ll wash his hands, get all the tools lined up, and do other dental shit. Plus, before he even gives you the shot he’ll look around your mouth first.”

“Really? I didn’t realize that dental work was so complex?” 

“It’s really not. They basically pin you down, shine a light in your eye, stab you with a needle, and then drill deep, deep into your nerves until they’re satisfied.” Paul covered his mouth with his hands. “I’m kidding—well, sort of,” he added, “Besides, you had a filling before.”

“Yeah, when I was eight. Do you know what I remember about it? I remember leaving the waiting room, saying goodbye forever to my dad, and then sitting in that chair waiting for something to happen, and then my mind goes blank. After that, I only vaguely remember the car ride home, and even that’s fuzzy.”

“Are you sure you weren’t on something?”

“John, what kind of drugs would I be on at eight?”

“No, not drugs—well, drugs, yes—but like, legal stuff. The stuff that dentists use.”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

“Are you sure you weren’t on the gas?”

“I might’ve been, but that doesn’t really solve my problem. I still can’t remember what happened. I’m assuming it went well. My dad said that the nurse said I did   
well, and no one said I cried, so must’ve been okay.”

“See, you were fine—probably. I can assure you, it’s not that bad.”

“Except for the shot,” Paul added. John laughed. “What?” 

“Paul, it’s a shot. I know it has that special name and it sounds all intimidating, but I can assure you it is no different than your everyday shot.” He was trying to sound comforting, but he was mostly amused. Paul did not look amused. He was mostly weary. 

“Are you certain?” 

“Yes, my love,” he said, tapping on his nose, “I am.” Paul crinkled his nose. He really hated that. “I’m serious,” he added, sighing. “Honestly, it’s a little jab, that’s all.   
Sure, it lasts long and it’s scary has hell, but it’s not a big deal.”

“Wait? How long does it last?”

“Like a minute or two?”

“Or two?”

“Okay, not or two. Just a minute.”

“A minute is still a really long time!” Paul exclaimed, sitting up straight in the chair. John chuckled to himself.

“Paulie, sweetheart, you are so nervous. I have never seen you like this.”

“I’m not that nervous,” he said, hyperventilating. John laughed out loud. Paul blushed. 

“Yeah, you’re Johnny Bravo over here.” Paul blushed a deeper shade of scarlet. “I’m only kidding you. God knows how I usually fare at this place.”

“But not the shot?” Paul guessed.

“Not the shot. No, with the shot I’m cool as cucumber in an icebox.” 

“Why would a cucumber be in an icebox?”

“Just…never mind.” He continued, “I know it’s scary the first time you do it, and trust me, I get how scary fillings can be, but despite my fears I know deep, deep down that they are really doable, okay? And the shot is intimidating, yes, but it is also doable. You just have to close your eyes, count to about a hundred, and then it’ll be over, and you’ll be fine. Okay?”

“Okay.” 

“Alright, let’s all just take a deep breath and try to relax before—“

“And there’s my favorite patients,” Dr. Gardiner called, coming in the room, his nurse following behind him with a tray of dental tools. She set it down on the nearby   
countertop. Paul gulped. 

“How many tools do you need?”

The doctor just chuckled and walked over to the sink. He whistled, calling John over to him. He headed over, looking slightly worried. 

“What’s the matter, doc?”

“I just wanted to know how he’s taking it. I understand this is his first time?” 

“With the shot,” John corrected. “He’s done the other before.”

“That’s what I meant.”

“Oh.”

“Well, how is he taking it?”

“He’s really nervous.” 

The doctor sighed. “I knew that would happen.” He glanced at Paul who was trembling in the chair. Then he looked back at John and smiled. He signaled something to the nurse and then turned back to John. “John, how badly do you want to help your friend?”

“My best friend, and honestly, I’d do anything for him. God knows he’d do anything for me.”

“Perfect,” the doctor replied grinning. “Nurse,” he called. “Get the needle ready.”

He marched across the room, leaving John confused and a little concerned. He walked back over to Paul and knelt down next to him.

“What did he say to you?” Paul asked him. 

“He asked how you were doing, and I told him you were nervous.”

“Oh. So, is that all?” John nodded. 

“Are you ready to get this show on the road?” the doctor asked him. He whimpered. 

“He’s gonna look first,” John assured him. Paul nodded, still looking terrified. 

The doctor asked Paul to open, and closing his eyes, Paul did. The doctor poked around his mouth for a couple minutes and then set his tools aside. Paul opened his eyes. 

“Does that mean?”

“I’ve got you, it’s okay,” John told him, squeezing his wrist. 

“Nurse, the anesthetic please?” He was promptly handed a very large silver syringe. Paul stared at it, wide eyed, petrified. 

“That’s the needle,” he squeaked. 

“I’m afraid so,” John replied mournfully. 

“I’m gonna die, aren’t I?”

“Not from the shot.” 

Paul kept staring at it. He seemed entranced by it. John covered his eyes. 

“Stop looking at it!” 

Paul pulled John’s hands off his eyes. 

“I want to see when they do it. I don’t want them just doing it when I’m not paying attention.”

“I won’t give it to you until you permit to, Paul,” the doctor said, setting the syringe down. then, he gestured for John to follow him.

They went over to the sink again. 

“He’s a mess, I know, but I’ve tried talking to him. He won’t budge.”

“It’s not enough to just say it. he has to see it.”

“He can’t ‘see it’ until he does it, which isn’t going to happen until he feels comfortable with it. You can’t win.”

“Nurse,” the doctor called, “I need another needle.”

“What are you talking about? He’s the only one here who needs the—“he mimed drilling, “zzzzzz.” 

“I know that,” he said, slapping on a pair of latex gloves. John looked at him suspiciously. 

“What are you thinking, doc?’

“It will help him to see it done on someone else first. If he sees that it can be done, and done without any sort of trauma, then he will do it.”

“Like I said, he’s the only one here who needs his teeth drilled, so it’s not going to work.”

“The anesthetic still works even if it doesn’t need to.”

“And to who would you give this shot to?”

“You know who.”

John froze, his eyes wide. His heart was racing. 

“You’re not…”

“You said you’d do anything.”

“Yeah, but this is—“

“Just a shot.” He gave John a knowing look. “You could really help him.” 

“You’re right,” he answered softly. “And it is just a shot,” he added, perking up. He put on a brave face and marched back over to Paul, who still looked petrified. 

“Good news, you get a little break.”

“What do you mean?” 

“The doctor thinks I need the shot.”

“Why?” Paul demanded concernedly. 

“To make you feel relaxed about it.”

“That’s awful! He can’t do that to you—“

“I already agreed to it,” John answered calmly. “Believe me, it’s the least I can do. Besides, I don’t mind.”

“You don’t?” Paul replied incredulously. 

“No, why would I. It’s just a teeny tiny jab.” He glanced at the syringe that the nurse was prepping. He gulped. He turned back to Paul and smiled. “Honestly, it’s   
nothing.”

 

“If you say so,” Paul said getting up. 

John sat down on the chair, trying to keep his nervousness hidden. His heart raced, but he managed to keep his breathing even and prevented his hands from shaking. 

“Alright, it’ll just be a quick pinch over your top left second molar. The whole thing will end fairly quickly. Alright?” John nodded and opened his mouth. The doctor aimed the needle at his mouth, but just before he could stick it in John moved away. “What happened?” 

“I was just wondering, how long is this gonna take?”

“Why? Do you have somewhere to be?” 

“No, no, it’s just, sometimes these take like forever, and since you have nothing to numb, don’t you think you could speed it up a bit this time?” 

“You don’t want to go too fast. It can actually hurt more if I do it too quickly.” John cringed. 

“Fine, take it slow, but not too slow.” 

John opened his mouth and the doctor got the needle ready again, but once again, before he could give it to him, John stopped him. 

“You haven’t done the tapping thing.”

“What tapping thing?”

“The thing where you tap my teeth first.”

“You want me to do that?” John nodded. “Alright, nurse, give me my pick.” The nurse handed him his tools and John, once again, opened his mouth. The doctor poked around for a few minutes and then sighed. “Why don’t we do some work on this second molar?”

“What?” John demanded, sitting straight up. “You said it was just the shot!”

“I did say that, but I noticed that you have a bit of decay on that second molar.”

“Last week you told me I was fine. You said I didn’t have any cavities.”

“It’s not a cavity—well, it is, but it’s really small. I don’t have to fill it now, which is why I said you don’t have any cavities.”

“Then don’t!”

“But you’re going to get it filled in six months when it’s much bigger. Why don’t you do it now while it’s much smaller, and I can get it done in about ten minutes?”

“Because I’d much rather put it off.”

“It’ll be easy, John, I can assure you that,” he continued, “it won’t hurt.” 

John sighed. “Fine, do what you have to do.” Paul gave his hand a little squeeze.

“You don’t have to do this for me,” he whispered.

“Yes I do.” He tapped his nose. Paul’s face scrunched up. John smiled. “God, I love when you do that.” Paul giggled. “Stay here, please.”

“Of course,” Paul answered softly. 

“Alright, let’s get this started.” 

John opened his mouth and closed his eyes. Paul squeezed his hand. The doctor peeled back his lip and stuck him with the needle. Paul gasped. John didn’t react. He barely felt it. After about a minute and a half, the doctor pulled away. Paul was in shock. John’s eyes fluttered opened and he smiled.   
“That freaked you out, didn’t it?” Paul nodded. “Honestly, I didn’t feel it.”

“Really?”

“Did you see me go, ‘ah, ah, oh my god, oh my god’—no, you didn’t.” He looked dreamily up at Paul, as he often does, “I survived, Macca, and I feel fine.”

“You still have to get your teeth drilled.” 

John groaned. “But so do you.” Paul grimaced. “It won’t be so bad. It’ll sound like you’re entering the gates of hell, but it won’t feel that way.” 

“What’ll it feel like?” 

“Nothing, really.” he beamed. “It’s the truth.”

“Alright, Lennon, let’s get this started.” 

John took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and opened his mouth. Paul reached for his hand, holding onto it more for his own sake than John’s. John smiled a little, imagining Paul’s eyes growing wider and wider. After about two minutes, his need to see Paul’s adorable reaction overtook his fear of the drills. He opened his eyes and looked passed the array of tools in his mouth to his best mate who was, as he predicted, staring wide eyed at the scene in front of him. John stroked Paul’s hand with his thumb to comfort him. Paul realized that he was looking and he gave him a very anxious, very urgent look. 

“I’m fiie,” he said. Paul still seemed skeptical. “Okay, stah,” he ordered. The doctor turned everything off and pulled away. he sat up and faced Paul. “Sweetie,” he said very seriously, “I am not in pain.”

“I know that—I think.”

“Then, what’s the problem?”

“There was like six things in your mouth, all of them doing something—I don’t know what—but something!” 

“Which is why I don’t like to look,” John replied simply. “Why does this bother you?”

“Well, isn’t it a bit…overwhelming?”

“Yeah, I guess, at first, but,” John sighed, “you deal with it. It doesn’t last long, it doesn’t hurt. And to be honest, after you’ve done it a few times, you kind of get used to it.”

“What do I do this time?” 

John squeezed his hand. “You have me,” he reassured him. Paul nodded, but he still seemed worried. John continued, “And you have at least eight minutes before we’re even on you, so relax.” He laid back down and opened his mouth. “I’m ready.” 

Eight minutes later, the doctor finished his filling. John sat up and faced Paul. he smiled a crooked smile. 

“How was it?”

“It was nothing.”

“You mean that?”

“Yes.”

“You’re not just saying that?”

“No, I really mean it.”

“Alright,” he said, sighing. He laid down in the chair and reached for John’s hand. “I’m ready.”

“Nurse!” the doctor called. 

Paul closed his eyes and squeezed John’s hand tightly. The doctor gave him the shot and Paul winced a little. When it was over he opened his eyes. He was in shock.

“I did it?” 

“Yes you did.”

“And the world didn’t end?”

“No, it didn’t.”

“And I didn’t die.”

“Nope, you are definitely still alive.”

“That’s so strange!”

“Isn’t it?” John tousled his hair. “They didn’t hurt you did they?” Paul shook his head. 

“For like a second. It was easier than most shots I’ve had.”

“I told you so,” he sang. Paul narrowed his eyes at him. “And you didn’t believe me?”

“Well, it was pretty hard to believe.” John rolled his eyes. Then he tapped Paul’s nose again to see his face scrunch up. He giggled. “You are something, Paul   
McCartney.”

“I know.” 

A half an hour later, everything was done, and Paul was just getting over the shock.

“Is that really it?” 

“Yeah, that’s all it is.”

“It was so strange.”

“Yeah, I know.”

“But it wasn’t bad at all. I can’t believe you’re scared of this stuff.” 

John was not amused.

“I’m not scared because I think it’s gonna hurt. I just get…overwhelmed by all of it.”

“You said you didn’t.”

“I may have lied a little.”

“What? You said you were telling the truth.”

“I was, I mean, mostly. You see, fillings suck the first time you get them. I mean really suck. You have no idea what’s going on, and there’s so much going on, and that gets easier the more fillings you get, but still, ten odd years later, I still get just a little bit overwhelmed by all the zzzzzz. It’s a bit much, sometimes. That’s all. But I meant it when I said that you could get through it, and you can, and you did. I mean, honestly, if I could get through it, no matter how much of a struggle it is, than you can too.”

“I still can’t believe you lied.” He sounded more amused than hurt.

“Yeah, I’m never getting my drilled for you ever again.”

“No, it was nice.”

“It was nice?”

“Yeah, it made me feel appreciated.”

“Well, I do appreciate you, honey.” They smiled shyly at each other. Then, they hugged. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” 

They started to leave. 

“Oh, and Paul, I’d do it for you again in a heartbeat.” 

“Thanks, John.” John winked at him and then pulled him out of there as fast as possible.~


End file.
